At Camden College in Blackwood, New Jersey, seniors have complained of the use of tassels on their mortarboards during commencement exercises. Traditionally at the college, Phi Beta Kappa graduates sport gold tassels on their caps, while others march in basic black. Some students have complained that the use of black tassels to represent less-than-stellar grades is racist and that, anyway, scholarly excellence shouldn't be flaunted.

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